Ivan Radford | On 30, Oct 2019

When it comes to the horror classics this Halloween, there’s one place to go: Sky Cinema. You won’t find a silent 1920s flick here, nor many foreign gems, but from Halloween to Don’t Look Now, there are scares aplenty.

Don’t have Sky? A NOW TV Sky Cinema Pass costs £11.99 a month and gives you access to all of the Sky Cinema catalogue, both live and on-demand – and, as such, you can expect the usual suspects, from critically-acclaimed genre stalwarts to a couple of modern gems.

The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter’s classic sees a remote Antarctic research station infiltrated by a shape-shifting alien. Who can be trusted? And who will make it out alive?

Pitch Black

Back before they tried to give Riddick his own Chronicles, David Twohy’s stripped down sci-fi thriller was a fantastic B-movie beast. Vin Diesel’s gravelly voice, some smart CGI and top-notch creature design combine to make a surprising, fun 110 minutes that prove you don’t need money if you have ideas. Well, that and massive goggles to let you see in the dark.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Wes Craven’s classic slasher gave us the iconic villain Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), but beyond the nasty, inventive kills lies the inherently disturbing suggestion that even your bed isn’t a safe place.

The Addams Family

Just in time for Christmas comes this family flick, which sees the cartoon characters of old given a live-action make-over from director Barry Sonnenfeld. From Thing (here a desembodied hand) and Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester to Christina Ricci’s Wednesday Addams, this perfectly cast outing is creepy, kooky and altogether likeable.

Cloverfield

What is Clover? In short, it’s a giant monster. Where is it from? No idea. What’s its motivation? Not a clue. All we know for sure is it’s big, mean, and it can decapitate the Statue of Liberty from 50 paces. Matt Reeves’ thoroughly modern monster movie captures the immediate terror of destruction from ground level. Come for the thrills and fascinating creature design. Stay for the subtle, smart framing, which prevents us seeing too much of what’s going on.

Event Horizon

This trashy sci-fi about a ship that goes beyond the boundary of space and human sanity combines Sam Neill’s unnerving stare and some strange visuals to truly freaky effect.

Friday the 13th

Crystal Lake’s history of murder doesn’t deter counsellors from setting up a summer camp in the woodsy area. So when a group of youngsters, led by Kevin Bacon, rock up to stay, it’s only a matter of time until a brutal killer begins to stalk them. Parts 1 to 8 are also available.

The Omen

Richard Donner’s veritable classic finds an American politician suspecting that he and his wife have adopted the antichrist. A string of horrible deaths and accidents ensue, from an innovative use of a glass pane to a grisly interruption to a family party – and, most memorable of all, a in-spired cameo from Doctor Who himself, Patrick Troughton, as a priest who sees what’s going to happen. (The Omen II and III are also available.)

Halloween

John Carpenter’s 1978 classic is the grandaddy of the slasher genre, as we follow Michael Myers, a murderer who escapes 15 years after his disturbing homicide to start seeking his next victims. From the music to the cast (led by Jamie Lee Curtis), this is a definitive frightfest that has little time for character and more time for pure tension.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Gary Oldman is enjoying himself enormously in Francis Ford Coppola’s take on Bram Stoker’s timeless horror tale.

Evil Dead II

Sam Raimi’s parody sequel is as much horror as comedy, as Bruce Campbell gamely returns to play Ash Williams again battling horrifying demons at a cabin in the woods.

Ghostbusters

When a trio of scientists (Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray) lose their cushy positions at a university in New York, they come up with an unusual solution for their new career: become “ghostbusters” and wage a high-tech battle with the paranormal for money. A laugh-out-loud classic, with spooky effects and an impressively big finish.

Don’t Look Now

Nicolas Roeg’s remarkable horror, based on the story by Daphne du Maurier, follows a couple (Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland) trying to come to terms with the death of their daughter, as Sutherland’s husband is hired to restore a church in Italy. Full of grief and spooky atmosphere, you’ll never see Venice in the same way again.

Poltergeist

Tobe Hooper’s 1980s classic follows the close-knit Freeling family, who find their house invaded by otherworldly forces, transforming it into a supernatural sideshow.

Hocus Pocus

“Boooook!”

ParaNorman

This wonderfully dark horror comedy has heart, scares and spectacle for kids and adult alike.

Coraline

Not quite The Nightmare Before Christmas, but Coraline is a pleasingly unpleasant bedtime story.

The Shining

Struggling writer Jack and his family move into the deserted Overlook Hotel, only for bad things to happen. But Stanley Kubrick lets the bad things surface slowly, relying on the creepy soundtrack, Jack Nicholson’s unhinged presence and incredibly freaky special effects to set the mood. The masterpiece is so intricately assembled that there’s even a documentary looking at all the conspiracy theories surrounding the movie – including the suggestion that it’s a secret confession to Kubrick helping to fake the moon landing.

Mandy

Nicolas Cage at his Nicolas Cagiest. In the Pacific Northwest of 1983, lumberjack Red (Cage) lives with his partner Mandy in a remote cabin beneath the Shadow Mountains. However, their peaceful existence is shattered when Mandy attracts the eye of the sadistic leader of a cult known as the Children of the New Dawn. What follows is a phantasmagoric journey filled with bloody vengeance and laced with fire, gonzo violence, and Cage’s trademark volcanic outbursts.

Mom and Dad

Doting dad Brent Ryan (Nicolas Cage) and his wife Kendall (Selma Blair) become infanticidal predators when mass hysteria causes parents to turn on their own kids. Their targets are mobile phone-obsessed teenage daughter Carly (Anne Winters) and her brattish little brother Joshua (Zackary Arthur). Crank director Brian Taylor ramps up the black “parents do the craziest things” humour.

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